Small Steps forward - November 28, 2023

The diplomacy that has not only arranged for but also extended the humanitarian pause has brought together unlikely partners in negotiations.  Egypt, Qatar, the United States, Israel and Hamas working together…at the cost of so many lives lost in a war that might have been avoided, for so many reasons. But a CIA official and Mossad director working with Qatari officials in Doha? And Qatari jets landing in Israel in the absence of diplomatic relations?  Such progress came at too high a cost of lives and well-being.  But it came.  

    And the agreed-upon releases of hostages by Hamas and releases of Palestinian Arabs from Israeli jails/prisons continue. 

    However, people in the United States are seemingly trying to fight this war through extreme protests, the shooting of three Palestinian college students in Burlington (VT) (after a murder of a child in Chicago), a high school teacher in Queens  forced by tens (hundreds?) of students to seek shelter in a locked room when a photo of her at a pro-Israel rally was circulated, and other demonstrations of hatred.  

    Our country should be a place where we can talk to each other, or even shout, about our disagreements without having to fear for our personal safety due to vandalism or violence.  Of course, there are current examples, in other arenas of life and politics, where people are choosing extreme methods of expression.  That may be contributing to what’s happening. 

    For now, prayers for the healing of the students shot in Burlington.  Prayers for the hostages to return home. Prayers for ongoing diplomacy to yield positive results. Prayers for those who are grieving.   Prayers for the flourishing of productive dialogue and more true listening.  Prayers for peace.

Even in the deepest darkness - Daily Minyan reading - November 27, 2023

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The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah

November 27, 2023

Merciful One,

Creator and Sustainer of us all,

Share Your light with us 

So that, even in the deepest darkness,

Those who are lost will be found; 

Those who have been held captive

Will come home;

Those who harbor only hatred in their hearts

Will turn towards acceptance;

Those who seek to sow chaos and

Who thrive on conflict 

Will open their eyes to the miraculous peace 

Embedded in ongoing cooperation;

And those who extend their consideration and respect

Only to some people

Will begin to feel empathy 

To all who are hurting and in need of support.   

Your insights have come down to us 

Through the guidance

Of our ancestors and teachers

Who knew that “love your neighbor as yourself” 

Is a phrase infused with meaning,

Intended to remind us 

That, in Your Oneness, 

All people on this earth 

Are our neighbors.  

Blessed are You, Eternal One, 

Whose image, imprinted on our souls,

Unites us in ways 

That we will, one day, understand. 

Reunion - November 24, 2023

There is so much to fix in the Middle East, and specifically, in the Arab-Israeli conflict.  There are attitudes that need to change.  There are policies that need to be refined to recognize everyone’s dignity and humanity through encouraging respect and proper education that promotes equality and cooperation. 

  I have seen the term “Parochial empathy” being raised lately, where one can feel the pain of only some people in a situation due to a personal perspective. Yes, it’s there, and it’s something to strive not to adopt for oneself, no matter what.  

  For now, my focus is on the hostages being released slowly but surely, with, perhaps, more rounds of releases with accompanying truces.   The hostages should not have been taken in the first place, but it appears that Hamas had been planning their October 7 attack for over a year, and maybe even for years, much to the disbelief of some in the Israeli leadership, but foreseen by Israeli army spotters who had been watching the movements of Hamas in Gaza for months.  

  With so much loss of human life as a result of this situation, and the approach of Shabbat, I am praying for eventual peace, and, also, the reunion of hostages and family members soon.   

   For those who have yet to even mention one iota of concern for the hostages, read more about groups that bring Arabs and Jews together, like the Parents Circle (I have a connection with one of the board members).  

   Focus on those efforts that can truly to lead people on both sides listening to each other.

We will all see - November 16, 2023

My own photo of an inscription on the Western Wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, found in the excavations.   It is from Isaiah Chapter 66, verse 14, possibly etched into the stone by a Jew in Jerusalem when the Roman Emperor Julian offered to the Jews of the region the possibility of rebuilding the Temple during his reign of 361-363 CE.   Julian died in 363 CE.  See the photo and explanation below.  The other possibility, noted below, was that the inscription was carved into the stone in 900 CE.  

I look at this as part of my heritage, not just my religious heritage, but part of my actual familial heritage, even if my ancestors had already left the Middle East and migrated to Europe.   Jews around the world back then were very much like an extended family. 

And this is one of the aspects of history that makes the current situation even more complex, but such complexities, that include every group and people that has a heritage in that land, need to be acknowledged by those who live there and those who are watching current events unfold from afar.     

   Maybe, one day, we will all see and our hearts will rejoice.

Chesed - original reading - Daily minyan - November 15, 2023

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The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah

November 15, 2023

God, our Teacher, 

Sustainer of us all, 

As we move through the cycle 

Of daily renewal

And of creation’s ever-changing growth, 

Enhance our understanding 

Of our world and our neighbors

So that we can grow in our caring

For members of the human family. 

May Your CHESED, the love You bestow upon us, 

Become a part of our very souls

So that we will share that love

By performing CHESED, acts of kindness and support,

For people in our community

And for inhabitants of our planet

Who live far away from us

 But who need our assistance 

To survive and thrive. 

Bless us with a deepening awareness of the invisible ties

That bind us together

As we walk this earth.

May the fruits of our generous spirits

Lead to greater connection among us

So that we will increase the lights of wisdom, hope, and unity

On this day and in the days to come. 

In response to seeming silence - November 14, 2023

The silence of many in this space (some community partners, but not others) and around the world about the hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 is quite deafening.   I find it ironic that among those taken and murdered were peace activists, and, also, that among the hostages are more than just Israeli Jews. 

   I am saddened that this conflict has come to this current state.  I support all of those people and groups that, even now, persist in their efforts for dialogue across divisions that can preserve hope for peace.  I lament every opportunity for rapprochement that was lost over the past 100 plus years.  

    I stand with my friends and family in Israel who are trying to maintain their optimism and sanity in this moment.    My heart goes out to you. 

    With the loss of life in Gaza and Israel over these 30 plus days, I pray that the shared grief among those who remember will become a foundation for connection, rather than a cause for more conflict.

    But, for the moment, there is most definitely a need to root out hatred, whether among movements or nations, some of which is feeding attacks based on the politics of the region. I am feeling that hatred, and loneliness, as are so many of my family members, friends, and fellow community members. 

  And to you who fail to acknowledge the presence in Israel of Jews (and their descendants) who were suddenly, in 1948-1949 (and decades later), unwelcome in the Middle Eastern countries where they had lived for centuries, I suggest that you read about that history.  None of this is as simple as you make it out to be.  

    I am sitting at home, but not a bystander, as I pray for the return home of the hostages, for greater understanding that could overcome hatred, and for eventual peace in a region that needs no more war.

Threshold - November 9, 2023

It’s still there. 

It’s Hebrew name means “doorpost,” 

According to the most traditional English translation. 

Its presence in our doorway changes 

The threshold of our home. 

The words on the small parchment inside of it

Are ancient and challenging

Because, after we have put that inscribed scroll

In its proper spot,

We still have to practice the teachings 

That have been passed down to us. 

No one has asked even one question about it 

In our current place of residence.  

Perhaps they haven’t noticed it. 

It’s still there, even now, 

When people are conflating political and religious hatreds

So that they might see this symbol

As one of oppression. 

No. 

It reminded my ancestors, and it reminds me

Of the awesome responsibility 

To keep our sacred heritage 

Uppermost in our minds 

As a lens for how we view humanity 

And as a guide for how we can act in ways 

that enhance our world. 

The motivation to do this 

Must come from the depths of our souls

So that we will reach out to the victims of 

Those who would sow chaos 

With support 

With connection

With warmth

And with the reassurance 

That we are here 

Together 

In a larger home 

A community

That begins 

With centuries-old words. 

They tell us 

To love God 

And to recognize 

the divine spark within each other. 

It’s still there. 

The spark and the scroll. 

We are not taking it down 

From our doorway. 

And its message still lives

In our hearts.

Companion, Support, Vision, Teacher, Parent - Daily Minyan reading - November 7, 2023

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The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah

November 7, 2023

Eternal Creator, 

By whose word and sound

Our existence comes into being 

Who renews the universe 

Within every moment, 

Be our companion in our despair

At the persistence of cruelty and conflict. 

Be our support 

as we seek to engender cooperation and peace

Knowing that we might be following a dream 

that cannot yet be realized. 

Be our vision 

As we search for the proper understanding 

Of right and wrong,

Light and darkness. 

Be our teacher, 

As we begin to learn anew

How grief and remembrance 

Can unite people who might otherwise 

Be separated by insurmountable division. 

Be our loving parent

Who can still inspire the children of humanity

To view themselves as part of one family, 

To share a home within one world

To be warmed by Your shelter and protection

that can encompass us all. 

Target/child of humanity - November 2, 2023

Target

Child of humanity 

Son of Wanderers

Descendant of immigrants 

Resident 

Neighbor 

Student 

Teacher

Always aspiring leader

Target 

Worker 

Partner 

Sibling 

Husband 

Father 

Grandfather 

Singer 

Writer 

Believer 

Outsider 

Target 

Seeker of understanding 

Advocate for freedom 

Facilitator of dialogue 

Hopeful bridge-builder

Sometimes-rejected Justice-seeker

Target

Child of Abraham and Sarah

Crosser of the sea

Standing in Sinai’s shadow 

Sitting at the feet of sages 

Member of a sacred community 

That persists even still 

And provides enough solace and strength 

So that “target” 

Will not describe or define me 

Or my companions 

On this journey 

Now 

Or ever.